A silvery blue form of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is planted under crape myrtles at Riverbanks Botanical Garden in Columbia, SC.
Ginger E Long, © 2024 HGIC, Clemson University
When the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) team visited Riverbanks Botanical Garden last spring, a silver-hued palm caught my eye. On closer inspection, the label identified it as the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). Saw palmetto is a native fan palm found along the southern coast of South Carolina. It gets its common name from the sawtooth-like spines on the petiole or central stem.
Saw palmetto’s native range extends from South Carolina south to Florida and west to Louisiana. It grows in pine flatwoods, sandhills, and dunes. The foliage can be green or silvery blue. The foliage has been used to make thatch roofing, mats, and baskets.
There is a green leaf form of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) in addition to the silver form.
Barbara H. Smith, © 2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Saw palmetto has an unusual growth habit. Instead of growing upright, it sprawls along the ground. As it grows, the trunk will root and branch, creating large colonies of identical plants that can be hundreds of years old.
White flower panicles appear in May and June. The flowers are a source of pollen for honeybees and other pollinators. Later, in the summer and fall, berries are produced. The berries are initially yellow, then mature to black. Birds, deer, and other wildlife eat the berries. Wildlife also benefits from the cover provided by the plant. In addition, saw palmetto serves as a host plant for moth larvae.
The fruit of saw palmetto is a food source for birds and other wildlife.
Barbara H. Smith, © 2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Saw palmetto is cold hardy in USDA planting zones 8 through 10. Plant it in a sunny to partly shady location in well-drained neutral to acidic soil. Once established, it is drought tolerant, although supplemental water encourages faster growth. Since it grows wider than tall, give it space to expand. Plants grow 5 to 10 feet tall.
Finding a source for this plant may not be easy. Check availability at nurseries along the coast. Try searching native plant sales and online nurseries for it.
For more information, see HGIC 1019, Palms & Cycads.
